This invention relates, generally, to a long connector housing and more particularly to a modular connector housing which is comprised of a series of connector housings which have a space therebetween so as to minimize the mismatching of thermal coefficients of coexpansion between the connector housing and the surface upon which is mounted.
With the advent of higher and higher density integrated circuitry, the electrical interconnection scheme between adjacent components and/or circuit boards requires more and more dense or compact contact and housing structures. Additionally, the number of interconnecting conductors is correspondingly increased. This tends to present a problem in that long connectors having as many as 1,600 contacts may be utilized. Two examples of connectors which are utilizable in long housing lengths and therefore capable of holding a high number of contacts may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,203 "Electricl Connector And Method Of Manufacture" issued May 20, 1980 to Gilissen et al and U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,884 "Electrical Connector Formed From Coil Spring" issued Mar. 5, 1974 to Kotaka. When installing such connectors having that many contacts, temperature changes which may result during soldering and field operations, may bring about coefficient of expansion mismatch problems in that the coefficient of expansion between the connector housing and the surface upon which it is mounted are different. Even in those situations where a deliberate attempt is made to minimize such mismatch, the very fact that two separate and distinct components are utilized may result in a mismatch. Therefore, contact misalignment, board or housing warpage and in some cases damage to contacts in a housing may result. This problem is particularly prevalent when surface mounting instead of hole mounting must be utilized.
It is desirable to have a device which allows for overall long housing lengths having a large number of contacts and which minimizes coexpansion mismatches even under worse case conditions. Further, it is desirable to have a device which is relatively simple to manufacture and assemble as well as being relatively inexpensive. Such a device is taught by the present invention.
Accordingly, the present invention teaches and as an object of the present invention an electrical connector housing for matching relatively the expansion or contraction of the connector housing relative to the expansion or contraction of a connector housing relative to the expansion or contraction of the substrate upon which it is mounted, comprising at least two connector housings having electrical contacts contained therein, the modular housings disposed on a substrate or the like, a filler material inserted in an opening in the housings at that point wherein the housings are joined so as to secure the housings to each other thereby forming a relatively rigid connector housing assemblage, the filler material being removed at a point in time after the assemblage is fixedly attached to a substrate thereby allowing the connector housings to move independently with respect to each other and the substrate in response to contraction or expansion of the substrate material or the housing.